Dreaming in Black and White
by InsubordinateSaint
Summary: Iris has pulled it together ever since her name was picked at the District 4 Reaping, but was it a mistake when she believed Marvel wasn't like the other arrogant tributes? Marvel/OC
1. Chapter 1

**So I know I have a Daryl Dixon story on hold—sorry for all you lovelies who keep telling me to update and I don't—but I couldn't hold back from writing this. I have a crush on Jack Quaid who plays Marvel in The Hunger Games and thought I might as well right this idea down. First part. Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games or Marvel (sadly), just my ideas and OC.**

**Enjoy and reviews would be Marvelous ^^ haha, you see what I did there.**

Dreaming in Black and White

Chapter 1

_Chin up.  
_  
The first thing my mentor, Finnick Odair, had given me as advice. The first words he said to me before he even shook my hand and greeted me, offering me some sugar cubes to settle my nervous stomach.

It was the easiest thing in the world to follow. _Chin up._ After I cried my brown eyes out that first night after the Reaping and said goodbye to my dad, the only family I had, I vowed to stay confident. I had been for the most part. Training was better than the thought of it in my head. Sure, the Careers had their own private jokes on every tribute, but I brushed it off enough. District 1 and 2 think they're at the top and stand the better chance. I've noted that being the female tribute of District four, I'm also included in the Career category. But I don't feel like one. I'm swift, but not muscular. I'm strong but not overpowering. And unlike the other upper class tributes of 1 and 2, I have manners.

The countdown was loud and echoed around the arena. All around me, my eyes found green. A forest. Maybe something that I can work with, if I can find a good water source. The small wind blew at my face and my hand moved to tuck a loose black curl behind me ear. For this purpose, the grand start of the 74th Hunger Games, I purposefully tied my long locks back to keep from my face. It would only distract me from my target.

The other twenty three tributes stood poised on their circular metal disks, the plates that would explode if I even tried stepping off a second before the countdown was over.

My heart pumped faster than it had a minute ago when I had said my final goodbye to Finnick. The young mentor had brushed off my fear. He took this serious, of course, but he seemed to have more faith in me than I had in myself. Was that good or bad?

**5**

I looked up at the blue and cloudless sky. _'What now, Finnick? Don't feed me another feeble 'chin up'. You already gave me your last one when we said goodbye.'_ Knowing that my mentor would be listening and watching, just like the rest of Panem, which is why I couldn't yell it out loud like I yearned to.

**4**

_'Yeah, yeah, I know. You're leaving this part up to me. Be safer and run for the forest to lessen my chances of dying right here in the first thirty seconds. Or head straight into the Cornucopia like the others, but only if I absolutely need to risk it. Why couldn't you have given me a direct answer? You're my mentor after all.'_

**3**

This is my first test. Make it out alive and show Panem that I could last this thing. Maybe even gain a sponsor if I'm lucky. My eyes briefly moved around to scan the other faces. Fear. Determination. A broad mix among the tributes. A pair of chilling blues caught my gaze in that instant, giving me goosebumps. Cato smirked at me and winked. It wasn't sensual, it was a dead look. He was telling me how easy he could read me right now, how effortless it would be to get me at the end of his weapon. How he would enjoy it when he did.

**2**

I felt my skin prickle to look in a different direction though and was glad when I turned to look at Marvel. He met my eyes with a blank expression though, completely unreadable and immediately looked away back to the Cornucopia. How long had he been staring at me? Could he see how nervous I was too or did he just not care anymore?

**1**

Why would he care? It wasn't like we were friends.

Everyone was a blur around me as soon as the countdown was over. Out of the corner of my eyes, tributes were already grabbing items. One girl dodged around and was already running to the trees. Smart of her. I could hear the screams around me as well, of pain and anguish. Of surprise, that this was actually happening. We were in a new kingdom without any morality.

My hand quickly hoisted up a brown backpack and slung it onto my shoulder. It was the first thing that had lay in my path to the silver spears ahead just waiting for me to claim. Finnick must know my decision by now. But I couldn't let my guard down yet. My eyes darted around me, making sure no one was throwing something sharp in my direction to bring me down for good.

Everyone was too busy fighting though and a sudden confidence filled me. There my weapon was, standing propped up and ready to be grabbed. My olive skin toned hand reached out and took hold of the set of spears, until my shoulders tensed at the other firm hand that had grabbed the weapons at the same time I had.

My eyes traced up the arm and neck and rested on the face of my opponent. He stared back dangerously at me. I tugged on the spears as if it would be that easy to make him let go. He mimicked my actions and for a moment it felt like we were in a personal game of tug-of-war.

That was before Marvel caught me off guard. He quickly stepped forward and I saw the flash of his elbow before it collided with my face. The startling pain was immense. The view of the world shifted, making me dizzy. Before I knew it, I had fallen and was blinking to focus on the tall District 1 male tribute who eyed me on my back. His gaze was straightforward, firm, and didn't soften in the slightest.

No. Him and I were not friends.

I didn't even have the time to mentally smack myself, for thinking that during training Marvel wasn't a brute like the others, because he was already pointing the sharp tip of one of the spears slowly to the side of my face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, so I really have to give a thank you to Someone2003 for giving my first chapter an amazing review. It was the best review I could have asked for and it made my day when I saw that someone had taken their time to give me feedback. :) Thank you! So I wrote up the next part. Don't know how I feel about it. Reviews are welcome ^^**

Chapter 2

Marvel stared back at me. He was expressionless which made it feel like I was laying there for hours, trying to pick out any feeling in his hard eyes. There was nothing. I wanted to yell at him. _'Just kill me and get on with it!'_ But he had to have only been looming over me for a few seconds.

The cries surround us were finally beginning to die and I risked taking a glance to my side. The last of the breathing tributes were finally making their way into the forest for cover. If only I could follow and be away from this massacre.

There was a small chorus of cheering then, making Marvel's shoulder tense. That's when it was visible, a certain flicker in his eye. But of what?

"You got him?"

My brown eyes moved to look behind Marvel at his fellow female tribute and the tributes from District 2.

Cato wiped at his face with his sleeve, taking in a triumphant breath. "I got him, Glimmer. You should've saw his face when I cornered him. Sliced his neck with one blow."

Clove laughed loudly, cleaning her bloodstained knives on the back of a dead tribute's jacket. She stood up, dusting herself off. "I almost got another one, 12, but she ran off." She said bitterly.

"We'll catch her." Cato reassured.

It was all a big joke to them and probably an even bigger joke to the audience who thought this was entertaining. It was only when the pressure of the spear tipped to my face disappeared, that I turned my attention back to my situation at hand.

"Is that the lot of them?" Glimmer questioned then, taking a sweep of the dirty grass with her eyes.

Marvel stared me down, making me feel hollow. "No." He voiced then, taking several steps back from me. He moved to the side and looked back at his allying friends. "One more." He pointed his spear at me in indication.

The sculpted smirk that had smuggled its way onto Cato's lips made the hairs on the back of my neck stick up in fear. His grip tightened on his sword, making his knuckles flex under his skin.

Traitor. This was the one word circulating my mind that I wanted to spit at Marvel. He had me where he wanted me, but no. My death wouldn't be that simple, he wasn't about to take my life away and easily leave. He has to alert his pack of dogs and make a finale out of me to show that the Games have truly begun.

Cato sniffed, eyeing my face fiercely with his blue eyes. "Good work. I'll take care of her." The broadening tribute immediately began to walk closer.

On instinct, I began to move away and looked around for any stray weapons laying around. My motion triggered the two girls though and they were fast to stand on either side of me, Glimmer kicking away a sharp rock that I might have been able to put to use. What was this, an execution?

"Wait." Marvel quickly said, extending his free hand to stop Cato in his tracks.

The blonde gave him a menacing look. His eyes, that had previously been lit up with the 'fun' he was about to inflict on me, seeped away into irritation. "What? Oh, don't tell me you've suddenly gone soft." He mocked. Cato chuckled and shook his head as he looked down at me. He gave a small nod as if he were listening to a private conversation. "Alright, if you want her so bad then you do it."

Ushered with a shove, Marvel frowned at me. It wasn't like I had done anything wrong, he was just mad to be put on the spot.

Glimmer rolled her eyes. "Just kill her. I'll do it myself if you want." She offered, raising an eyebrow.

"_I_ was going to," Marvel explained. "But she begged me not to."

Clove snorted and shook her head, muttering a not so low, "Pathetic."

My brown eyes narrowed as my gaze burned on the District 1 male. How dare he. What reason did he have to lie? I didn't beg him. I wouldn't have begged anyone, even in this situation. No, Marvel was just making me look weak. I sat up straighter and opened my mouth to defend myself, but he shot me a look. It was a warning that said to stay quiet and go with it, that he knew what he was doing. For a moment, I thought to ignore what he wanted. In the back of my mind however, I could hear Finnick's low murmur for me to listen, to stay alive. So I shut my mouth and dropped my gaze.

Cato boredly rubbed at his eye. "Yet she's still breathing. I'm sorry, I didn't know we were suddenly giving mercy and allowing more people to join our alliance."

Marvel stood up straighter. "We didn't get to include her before hand, you couldn't make up your mind."

"I didn't know you had already made up yours." Cato challenged.

Marvel pinched the bridge of his nose to relieve the stress giving him the energy to keep arguing. "You saw how she can throw during training. She's an asset."

"No, she's a threat!" Cato yelled, making Glimmer flinch and shaking Clove out of examining her knives.

So that's why the blonde was being so reluctant. It's beyond me why Marvel is even fighting took keep me alive. This was a lie. I understand where this was coming from, even though I shook my head to clear it away. I couldn't prevent the small smirk on my lips from the comment, though. The knowledge was surprising, for someone like Cato to think _I_ was a threat? Even though I didn't believe it, I could at least play it out.

Cato noticed my expression and became infuriated. "No, we can forget giving her a chance." He attempted to move forward, but Marvel stepped in front of him.

"I'll watch her. She's no threat." It was said so firm and serious that any hope of using it against Cato was diminished. "She's just a girl. Flesh and blood. Trust me, we can use her. And if it becomes a problem, I'll kill her myself." Marvel told.

I couldn't see his face, but his tone was final. It make my skin prickle. This wasn't what I wanted. Why didn't I run for the forest like that other girl had? At least then I could have avoided all of this. It must have worked too because Cato was actually giving up.

"You better watch her, because if you don't kill her, I will. Now why don't you and your little buddy start gathering supplies over there. And don't miss looking at the bodies in case they grabbed anything useful." Cato directed before stalking off in a separate direction to do the same.

Marvel waited for Clove and Glimmer to drift off before turning to face me. That was when I fully saw how exhausted he was. He let out a heavy sigh and the solemn expression he gave me was surprising because the hard edge to his eyes had thinned. By the time he extended his hand to help me to my feet, I knew he was doing his best to apologize silently.

I frowned at him and by the expression on his face, he had expected such a reaction. I lifted my hand to my sore nose and lightly touched it, but it wasn't broken. Pulling my hand away, I saw the warm, red blood that had materialized from Marvel's hit. And he wanted me to accept his help?

I wonder what my mentor was thinking now, hopefully not feeling too ashamed at how this was turning out for me. It probably wasn't playing well with the sponsors. I felt embarrassed for Finnick on my behalf and felt like less than nothing as I pushed myself up from the ground and around Marvel who had let his empty hand drop back to his side when I couldn't even meet his eyes.


End file.
